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Claudine’s Pov

Claudine opened her eyes and groaned. The sunlight streaming in through the stained windows of the little room hurt her eyes as soon as she opened them. She automatically flipped an arm over her eyes and groaned again.

"Today's adoption day," giggled Annette.

Annette is one of the overly chirpy roommates that Claudine had been saddled with for the past six months in the orphanage home. There were so many mornings that Claudine wished she could hear just her mouth, and today was one of them.

Utterly oblivious to Claudine's thoughts, Annette continued eagerly to the other girls.

"Miz Lucas says I'm going to be picked today." She bounced giddily on her toes as she proclaimed the girls who made suitable happy noises back at her.

Claudine climbed down from the bunk bed, plunking her feet firmly on the ground to distract them and keep them quiet even for a minute. She succeeded because they all paused in their conversation to spare her a glance. Annette hissed and sneered at her, encouraging the other girls to do the same.

"It can never be you, Claudine. You would stay here, getting old and dirty, and finally, become another Miz Lucas to look after new orphans." The other girls nodded their heads readily in agreement.

"Well, good luck to you" –she nodded her head in Annette's direction—" and to your minions" —she nodded her head to the other girls.

Annette started to vibrate. "Who are you calling minions? Do you think you're better than everyone else around you? You're—"

But Claudine had shut the door firmly against them at this point and thankfully stopped the tirade. She didn't care to hear what she was in Annette's opinion. If the people coming for adoption could take them all, she would be eternally grateful to fate for playing such a hand.

She quickly brushed her teeth and showered. She may not feel like lining up to be examined by strangers, but she still had to show up and make herself presentable. When she returned to the room to dress up, she found the room quiet and empty.

Claudine sighed and sat down on her bed to reminisce about her life. If only she had grown up in a natural home with her birth parents, she would not be here trading words with teenage girls with overinflated egos. She got up and walked over to her box, rummaging for something suitable to wear.

A voice suddenly called her name from the landing.

"Claudine Gofflin! Come down here right this minute."

That had to be Miz Lucaz. No one else drawled her surname as she did by putting an emphasis right at the end of the surname. She did it in such a way that "Gofflin" sounded like "Goffleeen." Claudine sighed again and shut her box with a bang, after which she hurriedly dressed up.